Save Our Skins
by GabeMart6
Summary: On a trip to Yavin IV post-Endor, Leia and Luke find themselves challenged by more than the Imperial compliment that ambushes them there. Based on a Battlefront II battle scenario.
1. Sister

Sister

Uneasiness was a feeling that Leia Organa felt she had learned to mask early in life. When Imperial forces boarded the Tantive IV and searched for the Death Star plans, she faced down the infamous Lord Vader like a bratty, annoyed Senator. When the cruel Governor Tarkin towered over her, holding her face like some plaything, she proceeded to insult his courage even as her own was wavering. And in that dreadful moment, when her home planet had been destroyed along with her father, Leia steeled herself and refused to react in front of Tarkin or Vader. Not even in her cell did she allow herself to emote. And not when she got rescued onto the Falcon or on Yavin IV. Only when she had gotten plastered at the victory party after the Medal Ceremony did she apparently start to weep when Winter had gotten her alone.

'Apparently' because she can't for the life of her remember that party.

Today, however, she felt uneasy, and Leia knew she looked it too. It had been an hour since she and Luke had landed at the abandoned Rebel Massassi base on Yavin IV and he hadn't checked in once! Her brother had come to her a week prior and asked for permission to visit the area in hopes of finding…well, what, exactly he couldn't say. Something relating to the Jedi. And so they were here, along with a compliment of 50 New Republic troops that Leia had commandeered for this mini-expedition.

Yet, despite the compliment of troops, Leia couldn't help but to pace the halls of the ancient temple corridors out of this feeling that she couldn't bury. Perhaps it was being in the last place that she had been with her father, perhaps it was the fact that none of them were supposed to be here. Hell, perhaps it was being away from Han. These thoughts entered the Princess' mind but were struck down quickly. No…what really was making Leia uneasy was Luke.

It had been over a year since the Battle of Endor and the realisation that they were siblings. Despite this, Luke had been more distant than ever. At first Leia thought it was because of hi — their father's death but recently she suspected that it had to do with restarting the Jedi Order. That kind of responsibility would crush so many, and Luke was just one man. Perhaps if he'd just _talk_ to her-

BAMM

The sound of exploding rock shook the area and her troops ran towards its source to investigate, which seemed to be a level below her. But Leia already knew what the cause was. Her comm beeped.

She answered it.

"You sense it too?" asked her brother.

"Yes" Leia says, having to raise her voice above the sound of increasing blasterfire.

"Imperials" they said together.

"I'm heading back, stay out of sight" and before she could respond, Luke cut the transmission. 'He's so curt now' she thought sadly.

She would not stay put, however, not even for family. Leia unholstered her Defender pistol and readied it for lethal fire exchange. This princess didn't stay put, especially when her men were in danger.

'After all,' she thought 'someone has to save their skins.'

And with that thought, she rushed off into battle, uneasiness gone from her heart.


	2. Brother

Brother

As Luke methodically traversed the underground labyrinth of the Massassi temple, the young Jedi couldn't for the life of him remember the last time he hadn't felt stressed. He couldn't remember the feeling, anyways. If he had to guess, he'd say the last time he had felt somewhat carefree was during the huge party that was thrown on Yavin IV after the medal ceremony

Force, that was a wild night.

Luke always supposed that after the Empire would fall, he could go back to enjoying more carefree times, like those he had with old friends back on Tatooine. But he soon found out that restarting the Jedi Order wouldn't be as easy as he thought.

Finding willing recruits, surprisingly, wasn't an issue. After the New Republic government officially welcomed the Jedi back into the folds of the galaxy, Luke had received dozens of requests from across the Rims to join his new Order. Now, finding what to teach… _that_ was the real challenge. Simply put, the young Jedi had never quite received complete instruction. It had happened to serve him well enough…until he confronted the Emperor. It turns out that training remotes, several half-remembered monologues, and a dozen athletic routines wouldn't satisfy years of training and advancement.

It was this quest for knowledge of the Jedi and the Force that currently occupied Luke's thoughts day and night, and because of this, the young Jedi couldn't stand being still. He had gone to Pillio, Felucia, Jakku, and many other worlds looking for information, but at each location he had only been able to recover scraps of what he needed. It was what little he had recovered from a Sith holocron in the Coruscant Archive ruins that Luke pinpointed Yavin IV as another planet worthy of investigation. And so, he had contacted his sister—

BAMM

The sudden explosion knocked Luke from his thoughts and nearly from his feet.

'Dammit, I've been careless!' the young man berated himself. Imperials had sprung an ambush, and he didn't even sense it in advance. When Luke now searched out with the Force he could sense around 50 hostile soldiers…and the wandering presence of his sister in the Force!

'Leia!'

The young Jedi hastily pulled out his comm and signalled her. She answered.

"You sense it too?" he asked of her.

"Yes" Leia said; Luke could hear heavy blasterfire in the background.

"Imperials" they said together.

'She's getting better at using her powers,' he thought, satisfied.

'I'm heading back, stay out of sight' and before he could hear a retort, Luke cut the transmission. He hoped in the Force that his sister would stay out of sight, but knew that, more than likely, she wouldn't. Not even for him.

Luke unclipped his lightsaber and ignited it in one fluid motion. As emerald light illuminated his surroundings, Luke thought of the green forests of Alderaan that a drunk Leia had described to him one night, months ago, with tears in her eyes.

He failed his sister when he failed to save her world. He failed her when he arrived late to Cloud City. He would not fail today.

With newfound resolve, the young Jedi sprinted through the ancient temple and upstairs, towards the nexus of the evolving battle, hoping we would not be too late.


End file.
